All posts by Oliver Lehmann

Mendel’s legacy between Brno and Vienna

To mark the anniversary, the Mendel Museum in Brno had what is believed to be the world’s largest pea made and sent it on a tour: here, for example, in front of the opera house in the capital of Moravia. / Photo: Mendel Museum

by Anna Goldenberg

The pea sighted in Vienna in the spring of 2022 was seven meters tall. Gregor Mendel would probably have racked his brains over how this cultivation succeeded. The inflatable pea had traveled from his hometown of Brno and made a stop at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences (BOKU) and the University in Vienna as part of the anniversary year. It also paid a visit to the Science Ball. Continue reading Mendel’s legacy between Brno and Vienna

Tomorrow’s bike

Photo: Michahelles Group / TU Vienna

Cycling keeps you fit and is good for the climate. However, too few people pedal. A cycling simulator from TU Vienna is to help develop a bicycle for all.

by Dorian Schiffer

Of course Florian Michahelles rides his bike. Almost every day, he makes his way to work at the Faculty of Computer Science at the Vienna University of Technology on two wheels – even in the cold season, despite the bad weather and early darkness. This makes the professor of ubiquitous computing one of a minority: as of 2021, only nine percent of trips in Vienna are made by bicycle, while a whopping 26 percent are made by car. This figure must be reduced, as the large number of cars causes traffic jams, bad air and CO2 emissions. Continue reading Tomorrow’s bike

Flourishing genetics

Photo: Martin1009 / Wikipedia Commons

The floral decoration is also based on the character species of genetics: the pea.

An appraisal by Hannah Müller

An extraordinary ball evening calls for extraordinary decoration: this year, the floral decoration is all about the pea. The Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel discovered the genetic inheritance of external characteristics by crossing purple and white pea flowers. Continue reading Flourishing genetics

Franz Essl: Everyone can contribute to change

Photo: Ursula Gerber

The ecologist Franz Essl (University of Vienna) was one of our Ball Ambassadors in 2020. In 2023, the Club of Education and Science Journalists presents him as Scientist of the Year. We are delighted and congratulate Franz Essl very warmly. Here is an excerpt from an interview that Katharina Kropshofer conducted with the professor at the Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research for Ball Magazine 2020. His message has lost none of its relevance or poignancy. Go to the full-length interview (in German) here. Continue reading Franz Essl: Everyone can contribute to change

Robert-Jan Smits: Science with, by and for society


“The Corona pandemic has shown more than ever the importance of European science and research. The grand challenges such as climate change, the energy transition and the aging of society can only be met with science and research – and this requires the highest political priority at both national and European level. Involving citizens in this process is essential to create and strengthen the necessary trust in science and research. This is precisely the goal of Open Science: science with, by and for society! Continue reading Robert-Jan Smits: Science with, by and for society

Barbara Fischer: The lesson from Mendel’s legacy

“Gregor Mendel, whose 200th birthday was celebrated a few months ago in Brno, Vienna and also around the world, is known as the ‘founder of genetics’. Mendel is among the great names in biological research, and is often mentioned in the same breath as Charles Darwin. Mendel’s experiments on peas led to the discovery of the ‘Mendelian Inheritance’, named after him. Today, his findings can be found in every biology textbook. Continue reading Barbara Fischer: The lesson from Mendel’s legacy

Where is the science?

Like Nobel Prize winner Anton Zeilinger, many are startled by the draft of the Media Promotion Act / Photo: R.Ferrigato

In itself, a ball is an enjoyable event. But sometimes we have to deal with the shortcomings of everyday life. Like this one: the federal government is currently planning legislation that will support publications which meet certain quality criteria. One crucial criterion is missing from the list: science. We are not the only ones who find this peculiar. Continue reading Where is the science?

Shqiponja Ahmetaj: Facing the challenges

Photo: Luiza Pulu

“Data is becoming increasingly essential in our digital society. It provides unprecedented insights and possibilities in all areas and promises to significantly improve our lives. Systems based on enormous volumes of data are influencing our daily decisions by recommending for example what restaurants (or balls) we should visit, what products we should buy, what communities we should join, or what news sources we should follow. Continue reading Shqiponja Ahmetaj: Facing the challenges